Wednesday, November 24, 2010

I could not believe the day when I finished shaping my board. I could not believe there was nothing left to do.... Not one thing. Somehow hours and hours of work just stopped... It was time for a huge step. Out of the shaping room and into the lamming room. But I didn't have a room... or racks... or lights... or....? really anything. I had a box full of resins, catalyst, tapes, squeeges, buckets, and sticks... but no where to glass it. My best friend Christian Wach opened his arms, and invited me to the Canvas Surfboards factory to let me finish my board. My board needs to be laminated, hot coated, sanded, polished and I have to opportunity to do all of this, in one location.This will be my first board to ever laminate and also my first board to have ever shaped. I remember when Maxx took me to Bashams to get my blank and supplies, all I could ask myself was.. what the heck are you getting yourself into?.... Before long, I found out it was a lot more sweat and work, then I ever originally thought hahah (: I have put countless, hard working hours into this board and somehow only got to finish the lamination as of today. Today was the birth of the very first, Nugget Chaser by Kameron Brown.

There are so many things to do wrong in making a surfboard. I have so much more respect for people in the surfboard crafting industry. Surfboard making is all about perfection. Anything and everything from shaping to taping to painting to everything, all requires a high level of perfection.

Here's a few memories of laminating my very surfboard. November 24, 2010....21 years old... and so freakin stoked.

I can't wait to get this thing in the water.. and get on tip. I'm still not sure wether to glass in a fin or just get a box? I am off to Kauai the 26th for 3 weeks and will finish her then. Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose. If you only do what you know you can do, you'll never do very much.

Monday, November 22, 2010

For those of you that do not know, our coast here in California is absolutely filled with sea life ranging anywhere from massive whales to microscopic plankton. Another one of my favorite pass times to do here is lobster fishing. Commercial fisherman mostly use a large quantity of lobster traps set up in a general area, being re-baited and checked every few days. For someone like myself with no boat or traps, I have to suit up from head to toe in neoprene, and swim out in the ocean during the middle of the night, and literally grab them with my hands. There is no spearing or netting allowed with these animals so you can see where the difficulty factor comes into play. Another way of lobster fishing is what we call hooping. We use a big round baited circular hoop attached to a buoy, and drop it on the sea floor and let them sit or "soak" anywhere form 15 to 30 minutes and then pull them up fast and steady (so nothing in the hoop, swims out). The first few hours were very productive but with most being shorts. As time went on, many more of the larger bugs came out to feast. The nickname for lobsters is a "bug" or"bugs". Referring to the insect like look they have with large tentacles from the head.

We start at around 6 pm and didnt end till 130 am. We even made an intermission trip to the store to buy more bait. Paddling, checking, sitting, paddling, casting, paddling, sitting, is a lot of what goes on while you let the hoops soak. I had my light spinning rod in my van and decided to take it out with me on the kayak. I set up a carolina rig with some squid on a lightweight trout set up with 10lb test. I casted, drifted, cranked, casted, drifted, etc, etc. It was pitch black with really not that much light other than the glowing of the moon. (*dunk,dunk, duh, duh duh duh dunk dunk....) my rod started going nuts. zzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooommmmmmmmm ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz..................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... My drag was being pulled and pulled and pulled. I had a something. Something massive, attached to the end of this line and I felt like I was going to get spooled. I start paddling and tightening down on the drag to try and slow this fish down.... Multiple attempts to get it to the kayak..... Im trying to gain line and we see the shark surface to only dart out again to a near by commercial lobster trap, wraps itself around the trap, and *BINK*.... the line snapped about a foot from my swivel. SHIT!!! is all I could say. I was bummed to have lost it, but so stoked at the same time. What a rush. I hear Bobby and Adam in the distance hooting and hollering pulling up more legals. I gathered my things to go check out all this commotion.

How to Hoop a Bug

In the hoops, we managed to pull up about a total of 15 eels that night. Some 3+ feet long ready to bite your finger right off.

??????

(:

We had a great night with many great smiles. I highly recommend this to everyone. It really makes you respect a $30 lobster dinner! (:

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

A friend of mine Nico Bloedel, has hand crafted, cut, and sewn, a custom cover specifically made for my Jeff McCallum model, the Nugget Chaser. He owns a company, Vessel Cover, and specializes in making hang sewn bags for surfboards. I highly suggest ordering one for its unlimited layout and fabric possobilites, to duribality and longevity.

There's something about fishing that keeps me coming back day after day. I can't pinpoint what the thrill is but it's very similar to hitting a homerun, or getting barreled, or getting a hole in one. Freakin love fishing.

Monday, November 15, 2010

I figure I will surf the rest of my life. It's more of a internal healing rather than a work out. When I am on a wave, there is nothing else in the world I focus on except the ocean rushing and crashing along the shore line. Waves are created by wind, tide, moon, etc..... All formed together, it travels thousands of miles across an ocean to only release all of its energy on the shore. Waves are almost like snowflakes, not any one wave is alike. All different, all changing. You must be ready on your toes for anything to happen at any moment. I sometimes wonder what life would be without surfing. It has brought me to reality as a different person. Surfing connects me with life, my surroundings, people, stars, flowers, life, beauty, and so much more. It has taught me to be thankful for what I have in life. I notice mother nature a lot more and her beautiful things she has created for us. Fishing, hiking, skiing, traveling, etc. have all followed with my love for surfing. It's like the best drug you could ever have. I don't know where this is going besides the fact that surfing has changed my life and I know it can change yours too. I want everyone to smile and be happy. Even if this world is corrupt, I feel my duty here is to smile, love, be loved, stay happy, and grow old knowing I did all you could do to better myself, and the people around me.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Another day back in the cave. Just moving foam, left everything else alone. Every pass I take the board looks even more alive. I am about 95% done with the blank and am absolutely stunned on how this...... came from that massive blank? Every time I look at the board I ask myself how the hell did I make that? I know without the help of Maxx Dexter, this board would not look anywhere as good as it does, trying to do it alone. There are so many steps in crafting a surfboard. Let's just hope I remember all the steps in future boards I make. Without having someone telling you the next steps or having them written down, there are so many wrong moves or passes you can do incorrectly that could turn a board into a pile of crap. Here's a few photos of the Nugget Chaser coming alive. (: